Ian Wild's Mercyhurst football teammates call him "Golden
Child." It probably has something to do with his 4.0 grade point
average as a double major in accounting and finance.

His Mercyhurst lacrosse teammates call him "Man Child." It
probably has something to do with his linebacker-like ability to
bulldoze opponents and score without making it look pretty, as he
did during a four-goal outburst in the Lakers' 9-8 victory over
Adelphi in the NCAA Division II championship game.

Wild, a Pittsburgh native who once dropped lacrosse in high
school to focus on football and academics, was named the
tournament's Most Outstanding Player the same weekend he earned the
NCAA's Elite 88 award for having the highest cumulative GPA of any
player participating in championship weekend.

None of it, he said, comes naturally.

"I'm really the most average person you could meet, but if you
do everything right, then you're going to be successful," Wild
said. "I always say to myself in my head, 'Do the right thing. Do
that extra set. Do some extra work.' I'm really not a super
talented. If I just walked onto field with natural ability, I
wouldn't be that good at anything."

Wild could have played Division I football. He drew interest
Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame
and Pittsburgh, among others. He received offers from Army, Eastern
Michigan and New Hampshire. When the NCAA's policies on player
compensation came under the microscope of scandals at BCS
football-rich schools like Ohio State and Miami, Wild watched the
news with a mix of bewilderment and bemusement.

"Grades are still the most important part of college," he said.
"This talk of the NCAA paying players is ridiculous."

Amen, Ian. That's why they call you Golden Child.

Q&A with Ian

What's your diet like?
It's pretty steady. I want to gain weight in offseason and try to
maintain my weight during the season. I always eat breakfast
between 8 and 9 o'clock — eggs, bacon and toast. I eat lunch
around noon, a snack before lacrosse practice at 2 and a snack
after at around 5. Dinner at 8 o'clock is probably my biggest meal.
I'll also eat a little something before bed. Every 2-3 hours, I try
to get something to eat, even if it's just peanut butter and jelly
and chocolate milk.

Which came first: football or lacrosse?
It was football first. In Pittsburgh, we're better known for
football. There's a higher standard and better recruiting.
Lacrosse, not so much. It really wasn't even a factor until I chose
Mercyhurst because I'd have the option to play both.

What kind of music motivates you during a
lift?
Everyone always puts on rap. I put '80s hair bands on Pandora to
piss them off. I like '80s hair bands. That always gets you
going.

What else motivates you?
In high school I was getting recruited and teams would tell me one
thing, then not come or lie to me. I'd use that as motivation. In
college, a city newspaper claimed in one report that the
quarterback "trucked me" after my helmet fell off. I don't think
that was the case. I hung it in my locker and looked at it.

You're a Steelers fan. Did you vandalize the locker room
during NCAA championship weekend at Baltimore's M&T Bank
Stadium?
It was funny playing there in the home of the Steelers' archrival.
We were in the visitor's locker room. If it was the Ravens' locker
room, I may have.

Suggested Workouts

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This exercise works not only your shoulders, but also your
entire upper body.

Use an overhand grip to hold two dumbbells touching your
shoulders.

Wild starts with 55-pound weights and works up to 70-pound
weights.

Lift the dumbbells straight up with your shoulders, keeping
your head forward and neck straight.